BONDS • k. hatake

•16•

I sat up on Kakashi's bed as he brought some medical supplies to his room for me to heal myself.

"Thanks.." I mumbled as I took off my shirt and started unwrapping my old bandages.

He helped my with the ones I couldn't reach, while I healed the rest with my medical ninjutsu.

"Are you feeling better?" He asked as he gave my a glass of water and my prescription pills Tsunade gave me.

"Yeah. I guess I should walk around though, my legs are feeling weak." I said. He nodded, he helped me stand up, my legs wobbly since I haven't used them in months.

The doorbell rang as I stumbled back onto the bed.

"I'm fine, go get it. I just need to start using my legs again." I covered myself with the blanket before he walked out of the room.

My eyes gazed over the hundreds of scars littering my arms and torso, my eyes narrowed at them.

I healed them bit by bit every day but it was still taking forever.

I hissed in pain as my back hit the headboard of the bed.

"She's not in the mood for any visitors. She's still healing—"

"I have to see her. Legal matters, trust me hatake. I'm just as angry as you are." Tsunade walked into the room.

My eyes avoided her gaze, my bruised face turning away.

"I know you don't want to see me.. but I need answers if I want to put that man in prison, as well as anyone else who helped." I stayed quiet as she motioned for Inoichi to come in as a witness.

"Wha...what do you want to know?" I asked, fiddling with the blanket.

"Well.. what happened?" She asked, nervous. Unsure of what to do.

"They took me out of my cell.. said something about me being released." A lump formed in my throat. "They brought me to that room and demanded me to give them information about everything I did in the 2 years." Tears welled up in my eyes, but I pushed them back.

"I refused. It was none of their business really,  they started punching me. Kicking, whipping me and burnt my back and face."

"I was bleeding internally, my head was pounding and I couldn't see much. Probably had poison in the blades the pressed on my skin."

"Then.. well. You know what happened next." I said quietly. I winced as I looked up at her, my neck feeling sore and bruised.

"I should be healed in about a month. Then.. well, I'm sure I'll go through a trial or banned from the village." Kakashi stood in the back, his eyes avoiding mine and full of sorrow and pity.

"...from your memories, this wasn't your first time getting... getting taken advantage of.. right?"

I scoffed.

"Not to be cocky or anything, seeing a "helpless", attractive woman, who apparently has a billion dollar bounty. I'm surprised I haven't gotten drugged and raped more." I said too casually making the others in the room wince.

"That's all I need.. thank you." Tsunade walked out awkwardly before kakashi walked up to me.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah." I sighed. "I have a feeling I'll be talking about this a lot more."

————————

Kakashi was still sleeping on the couch during the nights.

He thought it'd be best since I was recovering and since everything I went through, he didn't trust himself enough to lay beside me.

...but I woke up, feeling something was wrong and recognized the feeling.

Every time he had a nightmare, I felt like something was wrong and that feeling was back.

I carefully walked outside of the bedroom, his body twisting and turning, beads of sweat forming on his face.

My eyes softened at his stressed form.

I knelt down on my knees, shaking his shoulders softly until he sprang up, awake and breathing loudly.

His sliver hair clinging to the back of his neck.

"Kakashi.." I whispered, I stood up to sit on the couch, by his feet. "You're alright." His maskless  face scanned mine, looking into my eyes.

"Come on.." I whispered, holding his hand and making him stand up. "Let's go to bed." I was expecting a fight over this, he didn't want to hurt me but he just collapsed in my arms.

His arms wrapping around my waist, his grip tightening and his head buried in the crook of my neck.

"Come on.. I know your tired. I was thinking we could go out tomorrow." I pulled away before holding his hand and leading him back into the bedroom.

He go into his side of the bed and I went into mine.

He slept awkwardly, space between us. I covered our bodies with a blanket and shuffled closer to him. My head rested on his chest, he didn't know what to do for a couple of seconds but quickly found his hands on my back and waist, tracing shapes until he fell asleep.

"I love you.." I whispered, his sleeping form under the light of the moon. His chest rose up and down steadily, the beat of his heart was slow and relaxed.

I smiled softly before my eyes got droopy and fell into a deep, dreamless slumber. One I haven't had for a long time and now I know why,

It's because he wasn't ever by my side.